WE now all live in difficult times and a reduction in public spending is inevitable, which must include the amounts spent on MPs.

A second home should be provided by the state for MPs to rent while in office, which would be rented to their successor when leaving office.

MPs should be allocated an appropriate number of staff from a central pool of civil servants, thus saving money and preventing relatives being hired.

If an MP’s absence from Parliament isn’t due to their parliamentary work, they shouldn’t be paid for time they didn’t work.

Expenses should only be paid for an MP’s travel costs which relate directly to their work and only after receipts are produced.

MPs earn more than £60,000 a year, which is sufficient enough to live very comfortably. Should they need something for themselves, their family or home, their pay is more than sufficient to pay for it from their own pockets.

After all, this is the reality for everyone else on the planet and it’s time MPs started living in the same world as everyone else. But they never will.

CT Riley, Spennymoor, Co Durham.